Medical physics Aarhus Universitetshospital Aarhus Sygehus Department of Oncology Department of Medical Physics Medical physicist, PhD Steffen Bjerre Hokland
Overview Career path Department of Medical Physics, Aarhus University Hospital brief introduction The typical patient flow Basic functions of the medical physicist Advanced possibilities My entirely unbiased opinion of the upsides of medicine
Career path June 2003: Cand. Scient. in physics (theoretical) (minor in mathematics) July 2003: Contacted The MR-Research Centre, Aarhus University Hospital (Skejby) December 2003: Formally employed as research assistant August 2004: Enrolled as PhD-student at the Department of Health, Aarhus University January 2009: PhD October 2010: Employed at Department of Medical Physics
Medical Physicist 3 year certification Diagnostic Nuclear medicine Oncology Consists of 50% clinical experience and 50% education (various modules including biology and medical science) Organized in Dansk Selskab for Medicinsk Fysik. Info om uddannelse og hospitalsfysik kan findes på: DSMF.org
Department of Medical Physics 12 Linear Accelerators: 8 at Nørrebrogade 2 at Skejby 2 in Herning 3 CT-scanners 1 PET-CT 1 MRI 2 PDR-brachy therapy (gynae) 1 HDR-brachy therapy (prostate) App. 25 physicists
Behandlingsforløb efter henvisning Radiographer (optionally aided by physicist) Patient specific fixation Radiographer CT- and optional MR-scan - Coregistration Oncologist Delineation of target and critical normal tissue Physicist Dose plan Oncologist and physicist Approval of plan and patient specific QA Nurse+ Physicist Delivery of plan
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Basic functions of the medical physicist Dose planning Patient specific QA Periodic QA of equipment Actual QA Organizing and standardization of QA Teaching other groups of staff Overseeing treatment delivery Handling of radioactive sources Safety assurance
Practical functions during treatment All treatments are daily image guided In case margins can t be maintained (2 8 mm depending on diagnosis and patient specific requirements) the physicist is consulted and decides which action needs to be taken. Reposition patient Possibly rescan and replan patient Take a walk and a fart (you wouldn t believe the amount hassle we go through on account of gas) Quality assurance. Occasional consultations with patients
Advanced options There are ample opportunities for research in the departement I m currently allocated half time for a research project related to my ph.d. Because of the diverse nature of the job, the research is equally diverse (all the way from the slightly mundane of the everyday treatment situation (reproducible positioning) to the advanced of dose calculation algorithms, biological optimizations etc.
My perception of benefits Part of a large and dynamic department with close collaboration with various groups (my masters and ph.d. was sort of lonely one- man work) Other physicists Oncologists Nurses Radiographers Sense of urgency in problem solving what you do matters here and now Great opportunity to affect current treatments and openness for change